The opposition parties are preparing to stake claim for the next government led by Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba with signatures of 149 House of Representatives (HoR) members.
NC President Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, and JSP Chairmen Upendra Yadav and Baburam Bhattarai are holding discussion to that regard at the NC parliamentary party office in the Singha Durbar.
The parties are currently collecting signatures of lawmakers, according to multiple sources, and will go to the President's Office with signature of 149 lawmakers. The signatories will include 26 lawmakers from the Khanal-Nepal faction of UML, 12 of the Yadav-Bhattarai faction of JSP and one from Rashtriya Janamorcha.
The current strength of HoR is 271 after Maoist Center expelled four lawmakers who joined CPN-UML after the Supreme Court (SC) invalidated unification of UML and Maoist Center on March 7.
UML currently has 121 lawmakers including those of the Khanal-Nepal faction, NC 63 (but two are suspended), Maoist Center has 49 (including Speaker), JSP 34 (including two suspended) and three lawmakers are independent.
The parties will have to muster support of 136 lawmakers to muster majority.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has invited parties for formation of new government under Article 76(5) of the Constitution giving a deadline of five Friday afternoon.
Correction: The report initially stated 27 lawmakers from the Khanal-Nepal faction of UML and 13 of the Yadav-Bhattarai faction of JSP signed in support of Deuba. The error is regretted.
